


Can we see the stars from the end of the world

by MarieITNO98



Category: SKAM (Italy)
Genre: Conversations, Fluff, Giraffes, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-07 09:20:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18232955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarieITNO98/pseuds/MarieITNO98
Summary: What do you do when your boyfriend loves giraffes and you want to surprise him with a gift, but can't seemto find the right one? You ask for help.Or how  Marti realizes that details don't really matter. What counts is the outcome <3





	Can we see the stars from the end of the world

**Author's Note:**

> I have been wanting to write this fic for months...  
> I hope you like it :-)
> 
> English is not my mother tongue, all typos/mistakes are mine
> 
> Ps: Nico has a dog names Lino

Martino has been drifting in and out of sleep all afternoon.  
It is warm. Warm and blissful.  
When the rain outside gets stronger for a minute he jolts awake, needing some seconds to adjust his eyes to the gloomy room.  
It's almost too comfortable to form coherent thoughts anymore.  
He feels Nico shift and puts a hand in his hair, gently caressing each strand.  
"Did I miss anything important?" he asks, grinning down at Nico, who has his head in Marti's lap, his eyes focused on the laptop screen where a documentary about giraffes has been playing for the last hour.  
Marti draws a circle on his scalp when his boyfriend doesn't answer, "Looks like they found the giraffe."  
On the screen, a man in khaki shorts has just put a gps collar on the neck of a young giraffe bull. He looks relieved and happy after having searched for hours and hours with no sign of the animal.  
Nico still doesn't say anything, his one hand stroking Marti's thigh absentmindedly. He hasn't been feeling well the last couple of days.  
Marti knows it's not the cold he had had a couple of days ago. It's something Nico can't explain to him because he doesn't fully understand it himself. It's like this sometimes.  
Just thoughts floating around, bringing him down.  
Marti has been over at his house a lot. Every day after school, sleeping over on the weekends. Just lying in bed, cuddling, watching TV, whispered I love you's in between over and over again like a lullaby.  
"It's so sad." Nico suddenly says.  
"What is sad?"  
"There are only 19,000 giraffes left in Africa and they are being hunted."  
"The man in the shorts is helping them though. Look, he is planning a new national park just for them." Marti points at the screen where the man from before is drawing on a map.  
"So? That won't save them."  
"Hey," Marti takes Nico's hand, "there is always something we can do."  
"I wish there was."  
Marti knows how important giraffes are to Nico. That's why he got him a stuffed one for Valentine's day that survived exactly two days until Lino bit his head off. His corpse is still sitting on Nico's shelf. He couldn't bring himself to throw it away.  
By the time the documentary ends it is already dark outside, thunder faintly rumbling in the distance. Marti takes the blanket and puts them over both their heads.  
"What are you doing?"  
Marti nuzzles closer, their hands touching. He can feel Nico's curls tickling his forehead.  
"We are going to hide here so that my mother can't find me." he explains.  
"Is is already so late? Why do you have to go again?"  
"We go out for dinner together every Tuesday, haven't I told you that?"  
Nico traces a finger down Marti's cheek. He seems lost in thought, his eyes unfocused.  
"That's nice. I mean, it's great that you get along so well now."  
"I guess it is." Marti sighs, "I would rather stay here, though, with you."  
Nico smiles a little.  
"Are you still thinking about the giraffes?" Marti asks when Nico doesn't say anything for a while.  
"No."  
Suddenly the door opens and they rip the blanket from their heads.  
"Are you and your mother staying for dinner?" Ana asks, a kitchen towel in her hands.  
"No, I'm afraid not. We are going to get dinner together."  
Her last words are drowned by the ringing of the doorbell and Lino's barking.  
"Well, next time then."

 

"Is everything okay, Martino?"  
"Mhm?" he puts the fork down and looks at his mother.  
Their food almost finished.  
He is still a little drowsy from the lazy afternoon and the food has made him more tired.  
"You seem sad."  
"No. I am not sad." it comes out a little angrier than intended.  
"Actually," he says after a minute of silence, "it's not me who is sad. It's Nico. You know he loves giraffes right? Well, we watched this documentary and found out that giraffes are also an endangered species, but no one cares or even knows about this."  
His mother sips on her wine. "It is understandable that this makes him sad. They are his favorite animal."  
"I wish there was something we could do. This man on TV has dedicated his entire life to giraffes. He puts gps collars on them so he can monitor their movements."  
"Maybe you can donate money to the man's charity."  
"I don't think he has a charity."  
"We will look it up on the internet when we're home. I bet he wouldn't say no to some money. Gps collars are expensive"  
Marti's lip curl into a smile. Maybe he is still giving his mother far too less credit.

 

"Still nothing?"  
Gio is trying to stuff his books into his bagpack, the zipper dangerously close to breaking.  
The bell has just rang and around them are students heading for the gate and into freedom.  
Marti shrugs.  
"No. Nothing. My mom even tried calling the dude, but the number was not in service anymore."  
A few notebooks fall down, loose papers scatter across the floor.  
"Damnit. Why do we need so many books anyway!" Gio curses while Elia helps him pick up the papers.  
"You know, Marti, maybe you could just choose a random one." Elia says.  
"What?"  
"I mean, " Elia raises his shoulders, "there must be hundreds of people trying to help giraffes. You said you watched a documentary and now you want to donate money to help save giraffes. Why does it have to be that specific project?"  
"He has a point." Luca adds, "Nico doesn't even know you are planning to surprise him. He won't be upset."  
Marti wets his lips and looks out of the window, suddenly not keen on sharing too much with his friends. The nights cuddled up under a blanket, holding Nico, talking about the world are only for them. No one is allowed to enter their bubble.  
He could tell Elia that Nico hasn't been feeling well, that he was a bit worried, even though he knew it would pass. He could tell him that he wanted to give Nico something special, something only he would understand.  
"It's the one that seemed the best." he says instead, shouldering his bagpack and walking to the door. "I'm gonna go to Nico's, see you tomorrow."  
Marti is almost by the staircase when he feels a hand on his shoulder.  
Suddenly he feels small. Fragile. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.  
"It's okay,Martino."  
Marti doesn't look at Gio. "No, it's not."  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
Does he? Not really, but somehow he feels like he needs to. Needs to voice his thoughts to someone.  
"Maybe."  
He can't see it but he is sure Gio is smiling.  
"Can we sit do-."  
"Martino Rametta. I didn't know you liked to stay longer after class."  
Marti turns around and sees Dr. Spera standing on the bottom of the stairs, a bag full of celery in his one hand and a coffe in the other.  
"No, I don't. We were just talking about something."  
"Interesting. Can I join?"  
Marti finds himself nodding, "Yeah, sure."  
He has grown fond of the strange school psychologist who has his office in the basement.  
After an akward silence Luca suggests they all head back to the classroom to sit down.  
They push the chairs aside and sit down in a circle on the floor, crosslegged and their bags or bapacks in front of them.  
This might be one of the weirdest things Marti has ever seen.  
When he glances over at Elia, Luca and Gio he can see that they are grinning.  
"Okay, what is going on?"  
"Ehm...", Marti starts playing with the straps of his bagpack, "Ehm, it's about my boyfriend."  
"Ah, Niccolò. How is he doing?"  
"Good. Ehm, I mean, no. He isn't feeling well, but it's not about that."  
Dr Spera put his fingertips together and leans slightly forward. "Why do you think so?"  
"It's about me. I am too stupid to find this damn giraffe expert. It would make him so happy and I can't do it." Marti suddenly bursts out, "It is so important and I don't know what else to do to cheer him up. He gives me these amazing gifts all the time. So thoughtful and sweet. I, on the other hand, can't even google shit."  
"What giraffe expert are you looking for?"  
"We watched this documentary about this man in Namibia who puts gps collars on giraffes and wants to save them. Did you know there are also an endangered species?"  
Dr Spera makes an unintelligible sound and shakes his head.  
"But, " he says, "has Nico said that only this project would make him happy?"  
"No, he doesn't even know I have been searching for it."  
"Mhmh."  
"I already told him to just choose a different project." Elia adds.  
Dr Spera nods. "Mhmh. Nico loves giraffes, right?"  
"Yeah."  
"And he is not feeling well?"  
Marti nods, slightly confused.  
"I think you are overthinking this. I am sure he will appreciate whatever project you choose." Gio chimes in, giving Marti a pat on the back.  
Dr Spera sits back, suddenly smiling mischievously. Something Marti has never seen him do.  
"Or you could do something even more amazing!"  
He looks more awake than in all the time Marti has seen him.  
"What do you mean?" He asks slowly.  
"I can give you the phone number of someone who might be able to help you more than you can even imagine. Do you have a piece of paper to write on?"  
Dr Spera takes the paper Marti hands him and starts writing down a phone number.  
"I told you to never trust the internet. Here."  
He stands up, gathers his celery bag and leaves, but not before giving Marti a quick pat on the shoulder.

 

 

Marti decided a long time ago that there is something incredibly hot about seeing Nico drive a car.  
Maybe it's because he usually looks so relaxed, one hand on the steering wheel, the other often curled around Marti's.  
The wind tousles with his black curls when the window is down.  
He points out buildings, people, animals, trees.  
Everything is ecxiting and beautiful when he is with him in the car.  
Marti has begun to see more beauty around him because of that. He is discovering hidden gems of a city he thought he knew so well.  
Tonight, however, Nico is quiet. He has his scarf loosely tied around his neck and his eyes are focused on the street.  
He was so confused when Marti had asked him to go out. Still feeling a little down, but definitely better than yesterday.  
"Are you still not telling me where we are going?" Nico asks for the third time when they stop at a flashlight.  
"Nope. You should recognize it soon, though. Just follow my directions."  
It is pitchblack when the car comes to a halt in the gravel parking lot.  
They get out of the car. Marti putting up the collar of his coat. He takes Nico's hand and guides him to the entrance.  
"Come on."  
He feels Nico squeeze back.  
"I didn't know the Bioparco was open at night?"  
Marti smiles, no longer able to hide his excitement. "It's not. But you, Niccolò Fares, have a special appointment with a very special lady ."  
The confused look on Nico's face makes his heart grow ten sizes.  
"Sara should be here any minute."  
"Sara?"  
"Yes, but she is not the lady I am talking about. I'll explain everything later."  
They don't have to wait much longer. A woman with rain boots and kakhi pants comes to the gate and lets them in.  
Her face is glowing with excitement. "You are just on time. It just happened."  
She leads them through the dark park, the beam of her flashlight just enough to make out the shapes of cages and fences and hundred pairs of eyes that follow their quiet steps.  
Marti feels Nico grip his hand a little tighter.  
"Here we are. Please be quiet and don't make any sudden movements." Sara says when she opens the door to a big wooden stable.  
The smell of hay reminds Marti of his uncles's farm where he used to spend his summer.  
"Where are we?" Nico lets go of Marti's hand.  
"She is in the stall on the right. Go ahead, say hello." Sara gives them an encouragingly smile.  
Slowly, the boys approach the stall and it is in this exact moment that Nico understands everything.  
Marti hears him gasp. "Oh my god, Marti."  
The giraffe is lying down, her large body almost taking up all the space. Her big eyes are focused on the little creature between her legs.  
Marti doesn't think he has ever seen something as cute as the small baby giraffe he is seeing right now. It is stretching his long neck, trying to reach its mother's mouth.  
"Oh my god, Marti." Nico repeats.  
"You can touch the mom and her baby if you want." Sara offers. "Just be very careful. Let them both smell at your hand and then try to touch their neck."  
She opens the door. Nico looks at Marti and then back to the giraffes.  
The mother giraffe is completely relaxed. She sniffs at Nico's outstretched hand and blinks a few times.  
Marti wishes Nico could see himself in this moment. His fingers gently touching the neck, starting to draw a circle, like he normally does with Marti's hair.  
There is a sense of complete calmness over him that makes him look younger.  
It's in moments like these that Marti's heart bursts with love and admiration.  
All dark times are forgotten, all hardships and every hour spend wishing he could do something to ease the pain.  
Every glance and bad word on the bus, every hurtful comment from classmates.  
All that exists right now is this situation. This minute.  
What a marvellous minute it is. The shadows of the giraffes dancing on the wall, their mouths carefully inspecting Nico's hands.  
He looks absolutely gorgeous. All weight seemed to be lifted off his shoulders. He laughs when the baby licks his finger.  
God, he is so beautiful when he's happy. The most beautiful person in Marti's life.  
He turns around and Marti sees that his eyes are full of tears. He mouths a thank you while the baby giraffe nibbles on his jacket. Its thick tongue darting out, trying to catch the zipper.  
"Have you thought of a name?"  
"What?"  
"Didn't Martino tell you? You can choose his name."  
Nico glances over at him, he flashes his gorgeous grin and shakes his head.  
"No, he didn't."  
"Don't worry, you can always let us know later."  
"Marti." he says, one hand stroking the neck of the mother giraffe, "His name is Marti."  
"That was quick."  
Nico smirks, looking pleased with himself.  
"And a good choice." Sara adds with a smile.

 

It's well past midnight when Sara suggests they let "Marti" and his mom go to sleep.  
She guides them back to the gate and just smiles when Nico and Marti thank her over and over again. "Thank Roberto, not me."  
"Now you have to explain it to me." Nico says when they are alone in the parking lot.  
He is rubbing his hands together, his cheeks light pink, eyes still full of awe.  
Marti takes his hands again. "Wanna walk for a bit?"  
It is a quiet night. The first one without a rainstorm in days.  
Though the dark clouds in front of the full moon might bring rain later on.  
"And?"  
"And what?"  
"How on earth did you manage to get us into the bioparco at night to see a mamma giraffe and her newborn baby?"  
Marti chuckles, "Let's just say that you should thank Dr Spera next time you see him."  
Nico stops and furrows his brows, "That's it? You're not going to tell me how you did it?"  
"No. It was a suprise."  
Nico's lips curl into a smile and he looks at him from underneath his long eyelashes.  
"It was the best suprise in my life."  
Marti squeezes his hand. "I'm glad you liked it." He wants to continue walking, but Nico holds him back.  
"I mean it, Martino. You are amazing."  
Nico's eyes are clear and honest, he is smiling. His pinky stroking Marti's hand.  
"You always know how to make me happy."  
Martino knows that he won't admit it to anyone, but this comment makes his heart flutter.  
He doesn't need a charity or gps collars. Other people are taking care of that.  
He doesn't have to bring himself down or question his abilities when he has done all he could. What he needs is to give something to Nico that will mean a lot to him.  
And he did just that. It might not have been his original plan but he wouldn't trade the moment when Nico touched the giraffe for the first time for anything.  
"Can you see the stars?" Nico suddenly asks.  
"It's too cloudy, I can barely see the moon."  
"There is a star right there."  
"I can't see anything." Marti turns his head up and strains his eyes. "Where?"  
All of the sudden he feels Nico thumb stroking his cheek. The touch sends shivers down his spine. Even after all these months, he can make him feel this way. It's incredible.  
"Right here." Nico whispers, looking straight into his eyes. "Right here."  
And he kisses him softly when the first raindrops start falling.

**Author's Note:**

> I have never worked in a zoo so I don't know if it is posssible to touch giraffes, but let's just pretend it is <3  
> Hope you liked it. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated <3


End file.
